Young Hearts
by Ichihime Kurosaki
Summary: 08: It didn't matter how old they got: the love these two had for each other was ageless. Last chapter rating: K. Last chapter genre: Romance/Family (Collaboration with Kurosaki Girl 0890! IchiHime Month Drabbles - entry for Tumblr's IchiHime Month's fanfic week. Warning: rating may change with each new chapters.) R&R!
1. Nice Meeting You

**Young Hearts**

**Chapter 1:**

**Nice Meeting You**

**Prompt:** Love at first sight.

**Summary:** What better way to make an impression on your college professors other than being late on the first day of classes; but, that's okay – at least they found love along the way.

**Rating:** K+

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

_Read. Enjoy. Then, review!_

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**_~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~_**

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Many words and phrases could be used to describe college life and the various students that attended any type of college, university, or technical school. College life was often, more often than not in fact, described as a life-changing experience full of challenges and difficult obstacles to overcome. Long lasting relationships were made; careers were jump-started; and memories that lasted a lifetime were made. However, a single term could be used in describing college life and the students that found themselves caught up in it: crazy. Anyone's first day in any type of secondary-education establishment was bound to be a bit hectic - all you had to do was pick a freshman out of the huge crowd of freshmen and ask them how their first day went and you'd find out. College students however, were no less crazy than the day. In fact, arguments could be made that they were crazier. Yes, the students were hard-working and studious, but the students not only attended classes, they partied - a lot. Frat parties left and right; club celebrations; sport victory revelries; and just about an event every Friday night, despite some students having classes the next morning. But this did not describe all students, no, there were the students that went to class and studied the suggested hours that the professors outlined in the syllabus they gave out at the start of the semester. There were those solely dedicated to their studies...

One girl was especially like this, even though at first meeting one would assume she was the opposite because of her ditzy tendencies and preference to do things that were outside of the norm. The spoken of girl's name was Orihime Inoue, freshman at Tokyo University. Orihime had freshmen year of her college career planned out, extensively so: what time she'd wake up to begin her daily routine, what breakfast she'd eat on different days, what would be most functional and comfortable to wear on any given day, the quickest routes to take to her classes, etc. And all of this would have been great, really and truly, however, not all things go as planned…

Orihime woke up on August 25th feeling excited and energized, totally ready for her first day to begin. She woke up at 7 a.m. and went to the bathroom, took a shower, washed her face and brushed her teeth. The auburn-haired beauty had set aside the outfit she was going to wear the night before, changed into said clothes and took a moment to admire herself in the mirror before gathering her things and heading to the door. She had woken up early enough to catch a rather empty bus to the campus - making it to the campus by 8:30 a.m. - and had plenty of enough time to head to a cafe to get her usual caramel Frappuccino and breakfast biscuit. She'd be right on schedule – with her first class beginning at 9. Today was going to be great. Nothing would ruin her day. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and nothing would bring Orihime Inoue's spirit down… or at least that's how she dreamed it…

Instead, Orihime woke up on August 25th and immediately sensed that something was off. The sun was already a bit too high in the sky and there were too many people out and about. Usually college students were the only ones seen when she woke up. Now, as she looked out of her window, she saw just one too many small children with their parents running around. And there went the garbage truck… collecting garbage… this early in the morning? They weren't due to collect the trash until around 9:00…

Everything slowly clicked in Orihime's mind and she quickly looked over at the alarm clock on her nightstand and shrieked, grabbing the object off the piece of furniture. How the hell had she slept in?! She inspected the clock, hoping the time was wrong, hoping that this was just another sick trick - maybe the little blue men had gotten to her last night? Maybe they had set the clock forward two full freaking hours! She opened and closed her eyes several times but upon further inspection, by checking her phone, she found that it was indeed 9 o'clock in the morning - 9:07 to be exact.

Throwing her sheets off, Orihime tried to rush out of bed, but her feet became entangled in the mess of blankets, causing her to trip and land haphazardly on the floor. Groaning in pain, Orihime leaped back up – with more caution - and ran to the bathroom, hurriedly showering and going about her normal bathroom procedure. At 9:20 she was out of the bathroom and dressed in a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, tan ankle boots, and a plain white long-sleeved shirt paired with a tan cardigan. Her hair was thrown up carelessly in an effortless bun, even if it looked like she had taken time to style it artistically, and her face was clear of makeup. Gathering all her belongings necessary for her morning classes, Orihime ran to the door and all the way to the bus stop - just in time to see it leave without her. Reaching into her back pocket for her phone, Orihime's eyes widened tenfold. She had forgotten her damn phone! Now she'd be even later than before. Turning on her heel, she sprinted back to her apartment, ripped the door open like a savage and yanked both the charger and the phone from the outlet on the wall before heading back to the bus stop. By the time she was seated on the bus and on her way to Tokyo University it was just about 9:30. At that moment, Orihime just wanted to slam her face against the window…

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**_~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~_**

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Ichigo Kurosaki, college freshman, turned over in his bed, tossing the blanket from his body. Sunlight slid through the blinds in the dorm room that he shared with friend of many years, Keigo Asano. Grunting he turned onto his back and opened his eyes slowly and reluctantly. The night before had been a long one; he had taken so much time and care getting ready for classes that he found himself staying up well past the time he normally went to bed, especially with his normal morning routine and classes starting at 9. It wasn't that bad of a time but when you shared a room with the infamous Keigo Asano and had morning workouts that you wanted to do as well as having to get ready and eat breakfast, waking up early suddenly became very important.

Rubbing his eyes he yawned before stretching his tight muscles. Then it was as if something clicked in his mind and he realized it was much too bright for the time the alarm went off… As a matter of fact, he didn't recall hearing the annoying ringing of the alarm this morning at all. Ichigo bolted up in bed, his brown eyes frantic and filled with confusion. Turning his body, he looked at the alarm clock that was on the nightstand and his stomach dropped at seeing the time in its big, bold, red numbers. The clock read 8:52 a.m. - the alarm never having gone off.

His eyes clouded over with anger as he looked over at the lump across the room on the standard bed. Keigo's brown hair was all he could see, the rest of the boy being hidden by the puckish yellow blanket he had brought with him from home. At that very moment Ichigo could have killed him, very literally killed him and chopped him up into little pieces so no one would ever be able to find Keigo Asano.

With a leap, he was out of his own bed and standing beside Keigo's. His hands clenched and unclenched, and then he reached out and gripped the disgusting blanket that was wrapped snugly around his friend. With a mighty heave, he yanked it off the boy's body, flipping the poor and unsuspecting chestnut-haired boy onto his back. He mumbled some unintelligible, garbled up speech in his sleep before snuggling closer into his mattress, turning his back on his angry orange-haired companion. This infuriated Ichigo further.

"What the hell did you do Keigo?! I asked you to do one single thing! One thing! And that was to set the damn alarm clock!"

Keigo awoken instantly and whirled around to look at Ichigo's angry expression, whimpering "W-what?"

"Don't _'what'_ me! You had one job, one! Now _I'm_ going to be late and it will be _your_ entire damn fault!" Ichigo snarled angrily, throwing the yellow blanket back into Keigo's face. He began to mutter more profanities and curses as he stomped away to get ready for the morning, resisting the urge to turn around and strangle his buddy.

'_So much for a trip to the coffee house before school. I'll have to get by without it. Dammit!' _

Ichigo moved around the room like a hornet, quickly getting all his supplies together. Keigo only breathed the moment Ichigo had slammed the bedroom door shut, leaving him alone.

"Wow… I haven't seen him that angry in quite a while," Keigo exhaled the breath he was holding, whispering to himself in shock of what he had just seen. With a shrug he took the alarm clock and set the alarm to go off at 7 a.m. so that a scene like what had just occurred would not be repeated in the future.

Somehow Ichigo had managed to shower and get dressed, plus grab slice of bread and a banana, before the clock hit 9:15. Now, as he stuffed the bread in his mouth, he shrugged his school bag on while he ran to the local bus stop - the school's shuttle wouldn't return to the commons, which was closer to the dorms, for another 30 minutes and that was time he didn't have; the bus would just have to suffice - hoping to get a lift to where his first class was taking place. (That just so happened to be on the other side of the campus.) Ignoring the looks of contempt he got as he shoved his way on the bus before the doors closed, Ichigo finished his bread and opened his banana nonchalantly. So far this day was turning out to be much worse than what he had hoped for. He had known that with his luck things could go very wrong but not to this extent; being late on his first day of college wasn't exactly the way he planned for things to go.

'_What else could possibly go wrong?' _he thought to himself as he bit into the banana, not at all knowing things could indeed get extremely worse. Looking at his wristwatch, Ichigo saw that it was now 9:22. It had taken him about 4 minutes exactly to reach the bus stop at full sprint and the bus promptly arrived at 9:20. They'd reach the part of the campus where he needed to be in about 5 minutes, maybe a bit longer due to traffic. But that was if there were no more stops after his; if they were more, he'd scream. One he could deal with but more than one would drive him insane. Despite what people thought, Ichigo Kurosaki for all his trouble-seeking, punk-like features, was a very punctual person and despised being late. (Keigo had better find somewhere else to stay for the night because there was no telling what Ichigo would do to him now that he had successfully thrown Ichigo's schedule out of whack.)

At 9:30 - curse those damn slow drivers and the even slower bus driver - the bus slowly came to a full stop and as soon as the doors opened, Ichigo bolted out. He started running towards the library, knowing that on the opposite side of the large building, the auditorium, his first class was gathering at would be there. His couldn't have cared less about the strange looks other students and some staff were giving him; he had his own business to tend to and so did they, so what they thought really wasn't important. He'd pay them no mind.

Ichigo slowed down as he neared the library, slowing to a light jog before finally settling on a face-paced walk, using his large legs to his advantage and extending his stride. When the building came into view he sighed with relief. He was only… 35 minutes late… no problem at all. Yeah, that was the impression he wanted to make on his first day. He was probably the only one who was late and now, because of Keigo's inability to do anything right, he'd be the laughing stock of that class.

So caught up in his thoughts, he really didn't register what happened next until a flash of auburn caught his eye and something hard hit his chest, causing him to fall to the ground and topple over whatever had tripped him.

There was a small gasp of surprise and then the object underneath him spoke, "Ouch, oh gosh, that was bad."

Ichigo, having realized the object that he had run into was a girl, quickly rolled to his side so that he was no longer practically on top of the poor thing. Feeling a sharp pain in his side, he reached under him and picked up a textbook with a pink book covering. That was when he noticed that the girl's books were scattered all around them. The sight made his stomach lurch with guilt. Not only did he cause the poor girl to fall _and_ fall on top of her, but he also managed to scatter all her belongings.

"Damn, I am so sorry." He rambled on as he quickly got to his knees and busied himself with gathering the items that were closest to him. When he heard the girl laugh, he stopped to look at her, not at all happy that something like this had to happen the very day he was terribly late. Now what would the professor think of him? There was no way the professor would take him seriously now. But, really, why was she laughing?

Yet, when his amber eyes focused on the girl that was now in an upright position, his breath caught in his throat. Hair that had been up in a messy bun was now spilling out of its confines and curled down past her shoulders. She was rubbing the back of her head and looking at anywhere but his face - the blush on her cheeks more than evident; however Ichigo couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment… or something else.

"N-no it was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going… you see, I'm looking for my class so I looked down for just a second to double check what class number it was and then bam!" she giggled nervously, "I'm suddenly on the ground."

It was as if Ichigo's world had turned upside down, and at the moment he didn't care what words were spilling out of her mouth. All he cared about was how drop dead gorgeous she looked. Sure, she had no makeup on but that was rather refreshing considering how much girls liked to cake that stuff on nowadays. As he licked his lips to speak, he was frozen to the spot again when she finally looked at him.

'_Whoa… I'm dreaming for sure.' _he thought as her gray eyes locked with his own. He watched in a trance as her cheeks went from reverted again from her normal color to a pinkish hue. Clearing his throat nervously, he piled the rest of her books on top of one another, all without taking his eyes off her.

"Ichigo."

"Huh?" the girl was confused as she cutely scrunched up her nose. Ichigo mentally face palmed himself - she was probably thinking about the fruit now, great - and then shook his head, trying to regain his composure somewhat but finding it rather difficult now.

"My name is Ichigo, Ichigo Kurosaki."

That was all the girl needed to smile widely, "And I'm the girl that ran into you, Orihime Inoue. I really am sorry about that, the blue men seemed to have messed up my morning and I am having a rather hard time regaining my surroundings."

'_Little blue... what?!' _Knowing better than to voice that out loud, Ichigo just held his hand out to her. She looked at it for a moment and then took it a spark passed through his hand from hers. Trying hard to keep his face impassive as he helped her up to her feet, Ichigo handed her the books he had in his hands.

"It's all right; I am running late myself, almost more than a half hour actually."

"Ooh!" He jumped by her loud exclamation, "Did the little blue men ruin your morning too?"

He raised an eyebrow, but at seeing her innocent expression didn't have the heart to ask her if she was okay, or if she had hit her head during their fall.

"No, my roommate was a moron and forgot to set the alarm."

But her thoughts were elsewhere already.

"Did you feel that just now?"

"Feel what?" Ichigo asked as he bent down to pick up a few scattered papers that most likely fell out of her binder. One of them happened to be her schedule and he smirked when he saw her first class. "We have the same class - looks like we won't be walking in late alone and that's always pleasant thought."

Orihime clapped her hands excitedly, "That's wonderful! Do you know where it is?"

Nodding absently he began to walk a little more slowly towards the class. For some reason he wanted to keep pace with this new girl he'd just met. "I do, c'mon I'll walk with you the rest of the way."

Pleased with his offer, Orihime quickly fell into step beside him. She waited for a moment to see if he would answer the question she had asked before but when it became clear he wasn't going to, she asked again, "Did you feel it?"

When he cocked his head to the side while looking at her, Orihime responded only by holding her books more tightly to her chest. She elaborated, "The spark?"

Ichigo Kurosaki studied the girl beside him as they walked. Spark, huh? He couldn't tell if it was a spark, but it was definitely something…

Perhaps being late this once wasn't a bad thing after all...

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**_~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~_**

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**Fin! This will be my drabble story for IchiHime Month over on Tumblr, for the fanfic week portion of the month, and then of course the last day of the month there will be a chapter as well. This piece will be a collaboration story, so it is not mine alone; the author I'll be collaborating with this month is the great Kurosaki Girl 0890! Check out her stories guys! :) So, show us your love and follow/fave/review! Thanks so much!**

**Please review!**

**Mistakes will be corrected!**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**Ichihime Kurosaki**

**Kurosaki Girl 0890**


	2. I Promise You

**Young Hearts**

**Chapter 2:**

**I Promise You...**

**Prompt:** Promise.

**Summary:** As a military man, Ichigo could be called upon at any time to leave and go fight for his country, but before he leaves this time, there's one thing he wants - no, has to do.

**Rating:** K

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

_Read. Enjoy. Then, review!_

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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Orihime Inoue stared at her boyfriend in utter denial. There was no way something like this was happening, not now, not when things had been going so well for them. As she stared at him, jaw-dropped and open-mouthed, Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck.

"We knew this was going to happen sooner or later, Hime..."

"I was hoping it would happen later," she whispered, her voice laced with pain. "Much, much later."

Her heart sunk more when he sighed. When he took her hand in his, she didn't even feel it. She couldn't feel anything right now; her entire body felt numb.

"My unit doesn't leave for a month, so we have until then to be together."

A month… that was all the time she was going to have with him. It just wasn't fair; they were supposed to move in together and start their lives as a couple. And _now_ the military decided to send out _her_ boyfriend's unit? Why couldn't it be another unit? What was so special about his unit that declared it absolutely necessary to send his team out? Why did everything have to happen to them just as things started getting better?

"A month… it's not nearly long enough. It's not even that long..."

Worry etched on Ichigo's forehead and he slowly reached out and wrapped his arms around her. This was hard for him as well but he could see the pain in her eyes and knew it wouldn't be long before she'd be crying. His body tensed when her next question came.

"How long?"

How long indeed, that was the million dollar question. They had given him a rough estimate on the time but it was possible that they would be forced to extend. Steeling himself, he ran his fingers through her soft hair.

"6 months at the least. Could be longer." he whispered.

That did it - soon she was hiccupping and tears were streaming down her face. Ichigo's heart clenched at the sound and he held her tighter to him, crushing her petite body to his. He had known she would react like this and while he drove home from the guard meeting, he had decided last minute to make a pit stop. There was something he wanted to do.

Now as he held her, he felt his stomach fill with butterflies. Ichigo Kurosaki usually never got nervous, but at this very moment he was nervous - very nervous. They had talked about moving in together and then possibly working towards the next step in their relationship. He knew for sure he wasn't ready for marriage yet, but this was something he could do.

As Orihime wrapped her arms around his neck and continued to cry, he fished out the velvet black box from his pocket. Luckily she hadn't noticed, or seemed to not have noticed, his movement. Pulling back from her, he used his free hand and wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

"Hey, no need for tears, there's always emails and Skype. We can talk to each other every night."

Orihime sniffled, "U-unless you are away on a super-secret mission."

Ichigo chuckled lightly, "Even so, there's still email."

He waited for her to rub the tears away from her eyes before taking a step back. She looked at him peculiarly and then her gray orbs zoned in on the little black box that was currently residing in his left hand.

"Ichi..."

Swallowing back his nerves, he smiled at her. He said, "On the way home I had to make a stop, and well..." slightly awkwardly in fashion, he pulled the lid back to expose the item that sat within. The light hit the emerald shaped like a heart perfectly, making it sparkle.

Orihime gasped, she was looking at the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. And Ichigo had said he wasn't any good at this type of thing. From what she was looking at now, that was very much a lie.

"Orihime, I promise to never forget you while I am away – each and every time. And, I know this is a little cheesy but... can I ask you to wait for me?"

A giggle erupted from her and she beamed at him, the skin at the edges of her eyes crinkling from her happiness, "Of course I will! You didn't even have to ask."

"I know, I know." Ichigo was elated at her reply, "But - this is a big deal and I wanted to make sure you would be here. Also..." He took the ring out of the box and slid it onto her right ring finger, "I wanted you to know how serious I am about you."

Orihime threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply. Even though this was going to be the hardest thing for her, it was good to know that Ichigo had been so thoughtful. With the distance that would separate them, at least they had this promise to each other.

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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**Fin!**

**Please review!**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**K.G.**


	3. Facing the Truth

**Young Hearts**

**Chapter 3:**

**Facing the Truth**

**Prompt:** Hurt.

**Summary:** Sometimes, it's way easier to just give up. There's less pain, less anger and sadness that way... But this love... it's worth fighting for. It may be difficult, but it's real. And that's all that matters.

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

_Read. Enjoy. Then, review!_

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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Silence… That's what they were sitting in. It was complete, absolute. There was nothing pleasant or comfortable about it. The silence was heavy, suffocating. Neither would make a move to break it; neither would dare. It was unbearable and the tension surrounding them could be cut with a knife - it was thick, so very thick.

Orihime's eyes flitted to and fro in a nervous manner, looking anywhere, anywhere other than in Ichigo's direction. She didn't want to look at him right now; actually, at the moment, she wanted nothing to do with him. All the buxom beauty wanted to do was hole up in her - their room, and call it quits. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry her heart. She wanted to scream, to throw things, to yell - anything to get out what was slowly building up in her system. But Orihime, as smart as she was, knew better: there was no getting out of this situation. The only way out, was to face it and get everything out now, not later.

Ichigo was practically shaking in his seat, an angry tremor having taken over the moment he stepped foot through the door. All he could see was red; nothing registered but the uncontrollable anger swelling within him. He was furious, livid. Like a dragon, ready to breathe fire. There were mere moments left before it started, that much he knew; one of them would encroach upon forbidden territory. The gates of Hell would be opened and there would be no turning back; very literally, all hell was about to break loose. He took a deep breath and steeled himself for what was to come next.

Orihime opened her mouth to speak a few times, like a fish out of water. She didn't want to do it... neither of them wanted to, but how long would they sit there and say nothing, act as if nothing was wrong? Their relationship was suffering. Going on like this would basically be sentencing their romance to an inevitable death.

She released a long, shaky sigh.

"Ichigo…" she started softly, and looked up at him, meeting bright amber eyes alight with fury. She would not be swayed this time though; this time, she wouldn't back down…

This had been going on for too long. They had been avoiding this for far too long... It was time for them to be and act like the sensible adults they thought they were. It was time to face the truth, no matter the outcome.

"Ichigo, I know that it's useless to say that I don't want a fight," Orihime continued. She winced a little at his scoff. "I'm tired of arguing and fighting; I don't want to go through this constantly with you, yet you and I are both smart enough to know it will turn out that way even if we wish otherwise."

"Orihime, enough with the theatrics... Just say it already," Ichigo bit out, trying so desperately to let her finish. He was pissed and in his mind, rightfully so. His anger was justifiable to anyone looking at the situation through his eyes. But while he felt that he was angry with reason, Ichigo could also concede to the fact that Orihime had a say. She was his wife and if he wanted their marriage to truly work out, then by all means dammit, he had to let her finish before blowing a fuse. "Just ask already."

He glared at her again and Orihime steeled herself - resolve sturdy. This was it, it was now or never. And having decided she was not going to sit on this issue anymore, it had to be now. "Where were you last night? And last weekend for that matter."

There it was, out in the open; she had spoken her mind at last. Was she afraid of the consequences of doing so? Yes, but she was more concerned with their relationship at this point than his anger – which was clearly bubbling to the surface.

"And before you try to say it's none of my business, Ichigo, let me remind you that I'm your wife. It is very much so my business and my right to know where my husband disappears to."

It was then Ichigo exploded, "Must you always be so damn self-righteous and accusatory? I didn't even get a word out, yet there you go - speaking like you knew exactly what I was going to say! Don't you ever get tired of this Orihime?"

Orihime's eyes flashed dangerously, anger rising up in her, "And just like always, you don't answer the question! What's the point in telling me to ask you what you already knew I was going to ask if you don't answer?"

"You know what? That is an excellent point; there is no damn point if you're not going to believe me in the end anyway!" Ichigo yelled,

"Because I know what you're doing!" Orihime screamed back. "That's why I won't believe you. Really Ichigo, do you think I'm that stupid? Dinner? Really?"

"Oh Kami, Orihime, grow up! They are innocent, friendly outings! I don't understand why you have to be so-" he struggled for the words- his mind clouded with anger, "unreasonable."

Unreasonable? Her? She wasn't the one going to 'innocent and friendly outings' with a man she had such a risqué and inappropriate past with. No, she wasn't the one to blame here. She was a dutiful, loyal wife; she wasn't the one who screwed up. She wasn't sleeping with her ex!

"Then if I'm being unreasonable and childish, it shouldn't be so hard to prove me wrong, right? Because unreasonable children don't act or think straight. They don't use their minds; they let their emotions get in the way. So if that's how I'm acting, if that's how I'm being right now, just prove me wrong! If you're right and I'm wrong, just say it - say that all you were doing was hanging out with Senna last night. That you went to dinner and that was that!"

Ichigo was silent, staring at her through hard eyes. Orihime was breathing heavily. She had him pinned and it broke her heart three times over to know that she did. She so desperately wanted him to say that it was just dinner. She would do anything to hear him refute the accusations she had just thrown his way... But he didn't and Orihime knew he couldn't.

"See? You can't even do that," she whispered brokenly. The dam broke at last; tears silently streamed down her face and all the sadness and hurt that she was feeling was slowly turning into something else. Orihime laughed sardonically for a moment before looking up at him through blurry, tired eyes. Those grey orbs he loved so much were drowned in sorrow and despair. She looked like she was at her breaking point. "Tell me... was there anything else on the menu besides Senna?"

And with that Ichigo slumped, defeated, back into his seat.

"Hime, I -" he started, but Orihime swiftly cut him off.

"Don't! I don't want to hear it. Please, just don't," she pleaded, sobbing her heart out. "When is this going to end, Ichigo? I didn't think that I would go through this when I married you... but now... all I want is a way out. A way for the pain and suffering to end. I'm hurting inside and I want that to stop!"

She ended in broken, choked sobs. They grew in volume and Orihime placed a hand over her mouth to try and mute, or at least muffle, them a bit, but to no avail. It wouldn't work now; she had held everything in for too long and it was time to just let it all out.

Ichigo's pained clenched tightly at the sounded of her heart-wrenching sobs; he absolutely hated when she cried... And, unfortunately, now, he was the asshole who was the cause of her tears... her pain.

Reaching over, Ichigo gently grabbed Orihime's wrist and pulled her to him, setting her on his lap and wrapping his arms around her like a steel vice. She deserved so much better, so much better than him and he was pretty sure she had been told the exact same thing by her friends, and yet she didn't listen. She still stayed with him, even though he wasn't worthy of her love.

Tightening his arms around her, Ichigo began to rock her back and forth, trying to find a way to soothe her and calm her down - knowing that there was nothing he could do at the moment to soothe the aching in her heart. Her body felt extremely tiny in his arms, so much more so than usual, and each body-racking sob, every shuddering sigh, every tremor, he felt - each tearing a new, fresh wound in his own heart. He placed a kiss on the crown of her head, on her soft and luscious auburn hair, before resting his chin on her head.

A single tear fell from Ichigo's eyes as he closed them... and soon, as one had given the leeway, the rest came pouring down in torrents.

They would get through this... somehow, someway; they would push on because not all love is perfect. And while, sometimes, it's way easier to just give up on a love that isn't working or isn't perfect, it's also not the right choice. There's less pain, less anger and sadness that way, yeah sure... But their love... it's worth fighting for. It may be difficult, but it's real. And that's all that matters.

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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**Fin! Sorry for the late chapter. Anyway, as you can probably already tell, all of the chapters in this series stand as independent one-shots, however pertaining to this chapter in particular, I may or may not take it and make a full-blown story. It'll probably be under the same summary and I'll use this chapter as part of one or something, if not it'll be a spin-off, but just a heads up!**

**Please review!**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**K.G.**


	4. A Warrior's Heart

**Young Hearts**

**Chapter 4:**

**A Warrior's Heart**

**Prompt:** Strength.

**Summary:** She gave him the strength to get up and keep fighting when he fell down.

**Rating:** K+

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

_Read. Enjoy. Then, review!_

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**_~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~_**

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He had lost…

He had broken his promise and maybe, maybe this was the consequence for failing to do so - death.

Even now, as he was held suspended above the air by the monster in front of him, he could feel death just moments away. His body was too weak - too tired to move - and yet he still held his sword. Nothing could make him drop it; it was the last thing he had left - the only thing he could hold onto to. He had failed, and now he would never know if she...

His right hand twitched just slightly when he felt _her _presence. No - why had she come? This was not what he wanted her to see. '_Run… for I have failed… and once I am finished, he will come for you.' _How he wished his thoughts could reach her. Or that he had the strength to utter them aloud.

Vaguely, he registered the last words his opponent spoke, "Here is the man to whom you've entrusted all your hope… bare witness as his life comes to an end." Green light was the last thing he saw, and the last thing he heard was _her _broken and terrified scream.

The girl on the ground watched in horror as his body fell. There had to be a way this day could be repeated, that way things could be rewritten and made different. So very different.

Her shield flew out automatically as she ran. '_No. No!'_

Soon tears were falling from her eyes as she came to the conclusion that there was nothing she could do alone to fix this. He was dying - or… dead and there was nothing she could do about it. There was no way she could change the outcome. What use was she with all her special gifts when she couldn't manage to save him now?

"Help me!" she wailed as Uryū fell beside her.

Her voice was muffled as he floated in a black sea. It seemed that his struggle had finally come to an end. He had given it his all… and yet still managed to fall short. Now there was nothing left for him, and that seemed fitting. There shouldn't be anything for those that failed to protect the ones they cared about. They only deserved to be alone and damned.

"Help me Ichigo!"

What was that… it was _her_ again… she was calling for him. Trying to swim to him through the deepness of the ocean he was sinking in. But why would she do that? There was nothing left of him to save, nothing redeemable. He was simply… a void.

Now he could hear the tears in her voice as she yelled for him. Hearing them made it so he could imagine the way she would be looking right now. How he wished he could reach up and wipe them away, tell her in a weak voice that everything would be okay. But no, now that was no longer possible.

"_No one noticed she was gone but I did."_

What was this? A memory? Yes, of the time so long ago when he had been debating if it was worth the risk to go to the Soul Society to save Rukia.

"_So you need to go and save her and bring her back here. I know she has family there but she has friends here as well." _

There it was - _her_ positive attitude that had ultimately helped him take the final plunge into the world he now lived in. _She_ had always been there to help him when he felt less than adequate for the task that was given to him. After he had defeated Byakuya after rescuing Rukia, it had been _her _smile and tears that had made his heart soar. Things would have been so different if she hadn't been there for him.

Without her he would have perished long ago. How many times was it that she had saved him with her unique gifts? Multiple. And now had come a time when _she _needed him most.

His hand clenched on the ground beside the crying girl, her hands clenching at the sides of her head as she fought desperately with herself on what she could do to change this situation.

'_I made a promise… and dammit, I am going to keep it!' _The black ocean was thick as tar, and it clothed him as he tried with all his might to reach the surface. That smile had given him courage countless times was now twisted with pain and sorrow.

It was a look he decided did not look good on _her_. No, it did not belong on that perfect, angelic face. With a mighty cry of his own, he made a vow deep within himself. Even if it meant handing himself over to the darkness within him - he would fight. And he would win, for her sake.

Power flooded through him and he could feel the last strands of his consciousness slowly fading away, being replaced by the other that resided deep within the creases of his soul. This was what he could do to protect her!

Images of Orihime flashed through his mind, everything they had been through up to this point was vividly there. They only enhanced his strength to push forward, making him take the mantle of power all the more willingly.

He may have failed once to protect her - but this time he would not fail. This time, he would come out on top. This time he **would** protect her.

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**_~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~_**

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**Fin! **

**Please review! (And, guys, please - don't argue. If someone doesn't like a chapter and feels the need to be immature and say "I hate this or I hate that" then so be it. Of course, I can't force you to not post what's on your mind, but I'm asking you not to fight. Thanks for feeling like you had to defend me, my partner, and this story, but I'm not all too concerned with _guest_ flamers. And by the way, seriously, don't tell me what not to write; that's just rude.)**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**K.G.**


	5. Eternally

**Young Hearts**

**Chapter 5:**

**Eternally **

**Prompt:** Five Lifetimes.

**Summary:** For five lifetimes and forever after that they had sworn their love to each other; they would love one another 'till the end of time.

**Rating:** K+

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

_Read. Enjoy. Then, review!_

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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_1613 - Russian Dynasty _

Servants rushed back and forth as they quickly went about preparing for the big ball that was going to be held that very evening. One of the taller servants, with brilliant orange hair atop his head, hung a strand of decorative lace from one of the overtures. He was perched on a stool and didn't even notice when his childhood friend approached him. She had short black hair was held back by a white headband and was in its usual hairstyle, never having changed from when they were children. Her small hands went to her petite waist and her violet eyes narrowed slightly as she critiqued his work.

"A little further to the right."

Pressing his lips together to stop himself from saying something insulting, he moved the lace over just a tad more. He peered down at her, his hand still holding the lace, "Is it satisfactory now?"

Her dark eyes squinted as she studied the distance between each of the overtures. When she was pleased with what she saw she gave him a brief nod, "That looks perfect. Geez, without me you would make a mess of things, Ichigo."

The spoken of teen rolled his eyes dramatically before hopping down from the stool. Without barely a raise of his hand, he ruffled her hair, causing several strands to stick up at odd places. "If I didn't have you around I would get a lot more of my assignments done."

Ichigo smirked when he saw the normal crease to the sides of her eyes as she got angry. A vein in her temple began to pulse, but the taller teen simply turned on his heel and headed towards the kitchens, effectively ignoring the look she shot at him.

"Hey!"

Without acknowledging her outburst, he entered the kitchen and promptly began to prepare the trays that would be taken out to the many guests upon arrival. Ichigo heaved a dramatic sigh when she came and stood beside him.

"I was talking to you."

"Yes, I am aware of that."

"Then why did you walk away?!" Her voice became muffled as his large hand came up to cover the expanse of her face easily. With a gentle shove to it, he gave an exasperated look to one of the other servants. The young boy, with vibrant white hair almost as white as the snow, laughed but quickly scurried away when the girl shot him a glare.

"Look what you did Rukia, you scared him. Poor kid, now he'll have nightmares for weeks."

"I don't need your smart ass mouth Ichigo." Came her sharp reply. Ichigo raised an eyebrow, thoroughly impressed that he had managed to get her so riled up with such a petty insult of a joke.

"What is it you need Rukia?"

Rukia closed her eyes and counted backwards from ten to regain the composure that was required for a night as this. When she was calm, her eyes opened and she looked around the kitchen to ensure they were alone. Her eyes scanned the grand kitchen, eyeing all the pots and pans that scattered the counter tops. Happy when she saw they were alone, she lowered her voice.

"You aren't going to go see her are you?"

Ichigo didn't even have to ask who she was implying about with her question; he finished lining the tray and folded his arms, having turned his body to face her directly. She cowered back a bit at the menacing way he held himself, his large body towering over her small one intimidatingly.

"What if I am? There's nothing you can do about it."

"I can," she whispered, her eyes now on the counter where she was tracing a design on its surface.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes dangerously and his hand shot out. He grabbed her upper arm and didn't feel bad when she gave a small cry of pain. "Ichigo - that hurts."

"You better not say a word, you hear me Rukia? I _will_ not have you ruining this for me."

After a moment of refusing to look up at his face for fear of the look that would be there, Rukia spoke again, timidly and uncharacteristically for her, "Princesses don't marry kitchen boys."

She nearly fell back onto her bottom when he flung her arm away from him as if it was something disgusting. Rukia bit her lip as she looked up into his face. His chest was moving rapidly as his breathing was labored. Now she had done it: he was angry, very angry. Shoving past her roughly, Ichigo didn't spare her another glance.

"I am going to be getting things ready outside. I don't want to see you until the ball starts."

In a huff he was gone, leaving her in the kitchen trembling.

Ichigo Kurosaki knew what he was; he did not need Rukia reminding him of that. He had been born in the palace to parents that had served the Royal family for generations. When he was 8-years-old, he got the first glance at the Princess who had her father's attention over all her other siblings. Her name was Orihime. The memory was still as clear to him now as it was when it had happened. She had been receiving lessons on dancing and was failing miserably. The instructor had tried to be patient with her but it was easy to see that even he was at his wit's end. With another mess up, he snapped and she had rushed off, clearly not liking the man's raised voice and angry tone. That was how she'd always been; Orihime was known as the delicate one of the family. If her father did so much as looked at her wrong, she'd burst into tears and immediately begin asking for his forgiveness. It was one of the qualities that had made Ichigo fall for her almost instantly - innocence, delicacy.

The carpet silenced his footsteps as he went up the grand staircase and then began walking to the East Wing. His heart pounded in his chest as he entered the area that was strictly forbidden to him. A couple of times he had to hide behind armor as a servant or royal sibling of Orihime's passed. Peeking his head around the last suit of armor he had ducked behind, he looked up and down the large hallway. No one was in sight. Good.

With a brisk walk, he turned into a doorway, the door having been left open. He was so busy looking over his shoulder that he didn't hear the small gasp and exclamation of shock. Suddenly a hand was on his wrist and he was yanked into another door, which was rapidly shut once his body cleared it. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the lighting in the room but when they did, they adjusted and focused on a young woman with her back pressed against the closed door - Orihime. She was in her formal gown for the night. It consisted of pale pink and light blue fabrics, and it was adorned with beads and jewels that shined in the light that shined in through the windows. She was so… beautiful and breathtaking.

"What are you doing here?" her angel-like voice inquired of him in a slight panic. "You know you mustn't be here. If anyone saw you..." her voice trailed off when his hands found her face. He cupped her cheeks and tipped her head back so she was looking into his eyes.

"I had to have just one dance with you."

Her cheeks flushed, the skin becoming warmer under his palms; his words having sent her back to the first memory that they shared with one another. Without another word Ichigo lowered his hands from her face and took her right hand in his and placed his left hand on her waist. Soon they were swirling and twirling around her room, a smile on both of their faces.

When the dance came to an end Ichigo pulled her close, their faces inches apart from each other.

"I love you…" His confession was so silent she thought she had imagined it.

Her breath fanned against his lips, "I love you, too."

Ichigo felt a pang in his chest.

"Princesses… they don't marry kitchen boys." he murmured, his eyes lowering to her lips.

"I don't care."

With that he sealed his lips upon hers and the two of them were lost in the secret kiss that no one would ever be able to see. If they were discovered then his life would be ended, a fate neither of them wanted. This was a forbidden love, but one that would last through all tribulation.

_1837 - Victorian Era _

"So, Orihime," a buxom strawberry blonde addressed her younger sister as the two drank some tea on the spacious patio in the back of their estate. The cool, crisp afternoon breeze was pleasant on their skin, and the two young women welcomed each gust of wind with open arms, almost like an embrace. The dresses that they wore clung to their bodies like second skin, the tight and form-fitting bodice of the dresses hugging all of their curves before expanding out at the waist dramatically; the designs on the dresses were intricate and hand-crafted, true works of art, and the corsets amplified their God-given gifts, much to the dismay of the younger sister. But, for all their beauty, intricacy, and attention-drawing traits, the dresses were very much hard to breath in, uncomfortable, and heavy. There were layers upon layers that were put on before the actual dress itself made it onto the body and some were very itchy. The layers made young maidens' outfits heavy more times than not and hard to maneuver in; and corsets made it just that much harder to breathe. The fact that Orihime and her older sister, Rangiku, were sitting outside - in the excruciatingly hot summer heat - for a social gathering rather than inside made her a bit moodier than usual, especially because she was starting to perspire. So, all in all, Orihime was slightly agitated, couldn't move properly, and was having a hard time breathing. (The extravagant dress she was in today for the event and the stiff, hot air were helping none.) She was also having a hard time focusing on the words coming out of her sibling's mouth at the moment.

Orihime stared blankly at Rangiku for a minute, watching her lips move, but hearing no sound - she was stuck in her own world.

"Orihime!" Rangiku snapped, irritated that her words have fallen on deaf ears.

The young girl sat up immediately and met her sister's baby blue eyes. "Y-yes? I apologize, please continue."

Rangiku watched for a moment before returning to what she had been gossiping about.

"Like I was saying, just the other day, Gin and I attended a lunch-in with one of his buddies from the Royal Navy, it was Captain Aizen, yes I believe that's what his name was… Hmm, anyways, we were at this lunch-in and the barmaid and servants kept giggling and pointing at him so, naturally being curious, I asked what was so great about him. I've never really heard much about him, but apparently he's quite the gentleman. Very polite, intelligent, charismatic. He's single as well and though they said he's had his share of lovers, they also said it's purely for company. Poor thing, he's all alone," Rangiku gushed, rambling on and on, theatrics ever so present.

"So, I told Gin about it and asked Gin to invite him to today's gathering," she continued and with a flip of the hair she added, "He's looking to settle down and start a family, you know… perhaps a meeting for you two can be arranged, of course with supervision as it's highly inappropriate to leave a young women of your age and status with a grown man, but maybe the two of you will take a liking to each other..."

No, no - she absolutely did not. Orihime's eyes grew thrice in size; her sister was trying to set her up with a man that had to have years, decades, on her. Orihime knew immediately what Rangiku meant when she said 'perhaps a meeting can be arranged'. That meant a meeting had already been arranged and the man who most likely as for her hand in marriage. Oh dear...

"R-Rangiku," Orihime gasped. "You didn't!"

"I did and I plan on letting Mother know as soon as we are finished here. He wants to ask of you your hand in marriage," the eldest Inoue daughter, now Ichimaru, stated as she picked up her tea cup and took a long sip of the lukewarm liquid. She placed it down and grimaced, gesturing for the butlers to remove the tea set from in front of them.

As for Orihime, her eyes were bulging out her socket and she was doing everything in her power to keep her jaw from hitting the table. Just as she had thought… He would ask for her to be his bride… Orihime glared at the strawberry blonde in front of her. The nerve her sister had! The audacity!

Upon seeing her sister's expression, Rangiku was quick to step in again before Orihime could refute or run to their parents - specifically their father - for shelter like she always did. "Orihime, sweetheart, you refuse courting with any of your suitors and turn down any man - with status - that asks for your hand in marriage. You're not getting any younger, already 18. In a few more years you'll be considered undesirable and getting married will be very difficult for you then. All I ask is that you meet him and consider his proposal."

"Rangiku, why is it so hard for you to accept the fact that I do not wish to be forced into a loveless marriage? I will not court, nor will I marry a man whom I have just met," Orihime insisted for the millionth time, her ashen-grey orbs glaring at Rangiku, her mouth set in a frown.

"Oh please, as soon as you meet some handsome young Duke, you'll be off and in the trees making babies," the older woman rolled her eyes and retorted.

"Rangiku!" Orihime gasped, although her tone was that of a reprimanding mother. That woman really had no decorum.

Said woman glanced at her auburn-haired sister's mortified face and threw her head back, a carefree and happy laugh that rang out like chimes escaping her.

For two women of the higher class in society, they surely were an odd duo and many who found themselves watching their encounters would agree as well.

Orihime stood from the table they were sitting at and straightened her dress and pushed her caramel curls back before addressing her still laughing sister, curtly tossing out, "Make yourself presentable. The guests will be arriving shortly."

And with that Orihime turned on her heel and began walking in the opposite direction, away from the hall where they would be greeting their guests - guests like dukes and duchesses, counts and countesses, baronets, nobility and royalty of all kinds, temporal and spiritual lords alike, country gentleman and large scale business men, and those from Parliament; basically the wealthy aristocrats and the gentry, more commonly known as the 'elite' or 'privileged' class.

In just a few minutes all these people would be arriving to their home. She'd be expected to sit up really straight and smile really bright albeit fakely and be polite and make small talk and accept tons and tons of requests for a dance from men and boys alike, people she didn't know. People she didn't want to know; they were all self-righteous and prudish, arrogant fools who spoke of serious matters and the lower classes as if they were truly above them all when in reality old money had bought their own statuses. They were people who flaunted their money and bragged at every chance they got. Quite frankly, Orihime wanted no part in the lavish and grandeur activities disguised as a way to show off what you had and no other had.

Instead of thinking of the consequences that would come from her ignoring her duty as a young woman of society and heading inside, Orihime began making her way towards the garden, specifically the rose hedges: they rose above her head and led into something almost like a maze, a labyrinth of wonder and beauty to behold. The roses were in full bloom and smelled delightful in the light breeze and covered the hedges extensively, the redness of the flowers as vibrant ever. The youngest Inoue wandered throughout the garden's maze in peace, alone and with her thoughts.

Sure enough, roughly what she thought to be about ten minutes later, she heard the butler announcing the arrivals of lord so and so and his wife, of the duke of this place and that, etc. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she imagined their dramatic entrances.

At the center of the maze there was a fountain; the fountain had been on the estate when they bought it and Orihime's mother had not had the heart to have it removed, falling in love with it instantly. During her childhood, her mother had brought her many times to the fountain and the two females would escape all duty for the day and just talk. Her mother would tell her stories of all kinds, more times than not however, they were love stories. She would tell Orihime of how she and her father had met and how their love had grown for one another over the years, starting as friendship and then growing into attraction. Her mother had told her that even though she was smitten with her father from day one, he had taken more time to figure out his feelings for her. But in the end they worked everything out and were now living happily.

Orihime wanted a love story like that: she wanted to meet the one accidently and just fall for him like her mother had fallen for her father. She wanted to fall in love, not be forced into. She didn't want to go looking for it; she wanted it to find her…

With a sigh, Orihime walked up to the fountain and sat beside it on the ground, not caring at all about what her dress would look like after - it wasn't like they couldn't afford to pay a seamstress to make another. Closing her eyes, Orihime rested her head on the marble of the fountain and crossed her legs under her, placing an arm under her head to get more comfortable.

She didn't know how much time passed by but a little while later she felt someone shaking her shoulder gently and a deep voice was speaking to her, yet she couldn't make out the words. Opening her doe-shaped silvery eyes, Orihime found herself staring into the depths of rich amber orbs. Blinking, Orihime shook her head a little to shake away the remainders of sleep. How embarrassing, she had fallen asleep.

"Are you alright, miss?" the voice asked again. It was smooth and deep, baritone. It made shivers run through her core. "You're cold. Here."

The next thing she knew, a large coat was being wrapped around her shoulders and she had to resist the urge to take a deep whiff. The scent it was emitting was heavenly: musky and spicy, almost like cinnamon. It was engulfing her.

A warm hand touched her forehead, and another question was asked, "Do you feel ill?"

She blushed; here she was being asked questions by a man with an incredibly sexy voice, beautiful eyes, an amazing natural aroma about him, _and_ manners, and all she could do was stare, thinking about his smell.

"I-I apologize. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I can assure, I am quite alright," she hastily explained, sitting up.

The man was kneeling in front of her, worry etched on his face. He was very tall from what she could tell, was in excellent physical condition, tanner than she, and had a shock of orange hair - a shade or two lighter than her own locks - on his head. Her heart stopped. He… was… gorgeous.

Orihime felt the blush return tenfold and looked away.

"You're positive?" he asked.

Not trusting her voice, she nodded.

"Well, if you say so," the man answered, before standing up. A hand appeared in front of her face and she blinked, looking up to find an amused smirk on the stranger's face. He raised a single eyebrow at her.

Her face must have been red when she accepted his offer; he pulled her up as if she weighed nothing. Strong - he was very strong.

"Ichigo," he said, hand still holding hers. "Ichigo Kurosaki."

Orihime smiled brightly at him; she had heard of this man. Harvard Medical School graduate, firstborn and only son of the Lord Marquess Isshin Kurosaki and his wife Masaki, heir of the multi-billionaire company his grandfather was running. And he was a half-bred, just like her, part English and part Japanese.

"Orihime Inoue," she said and curtsied.

Ichigo's smirked turn into a grin as he watched her, taking in her appearance. So this was the daughter of Duke Inoue they were all going crazy looking for.

"Nice to meet you, right honorable Lady Inoue," Ichigo said.

"The pleasure's all mine Lord Kurosaki," she returned. "And please, just Orihime is fine."

Ichigo nodded once, " So long as you call me Ichigo."

He squeezed her hand gently.

His had still not let go of hers yet it seemed like she really didn't notice. He had to admit though, her small and delicate feeling hand fit perfectly in his large one. When he had wandered away from the number of girls fawning over him and aristocrats prying into his personal life and waltzed into the garden, he had not been expecting to find such an attractive young maiden lying on the ground like the princesses of fairy tales.

"Is there something wrong?" her soft voice asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"No, it's nothing… just… you're beautiful," he replied, unabashed. He was simply stating the truth.

Her cheeks were aflame but the smile on her face was undoubtedly stunning, just like her.

"I take it you don't care too much for these types of events either?"

"You'd be correct," Orihime answered honestly.

"Well then, shall we?" the orange-haired Lord inquired.

Instead of turning back the way he came and towards the party, Ichigo released her hand and offered his arm, intent on going deeper into the labyrinth. She accepted, her hand neatly tucked into the crook of his arm. The two began walking further away from the music and conversation and festivities.

"So," Ichigo began, a flirtatious smile playing on his lips. "Why don't you tell me more about yourself?"

Orihime giggled. "Well…"

Maybe, just maybe this would be the start of the love stories she had grown up on. Maybe she'd get a happily ever with this man who had caught her interest so quickly. Maybe she'd fall for him like her mother had fallen for her father, like Rangiku had fallen for Gin…

Just maybe...

_1861 - Civil War_

The hammer hit the metal with a loud clang as Ichigo Kurosaki molded the metal into a horseshoe. The shop door opened, the bell that hung on it ringing to alert him of the new comer. He wiped his brow to get the sweat and grime away. When he saw the girl standing in the doorway he groaned. Not this again.

"Ichigo… I'm scared… we… we can't stay here. The soldiers are coming - they were just in the last town..."

"We've talked about this Orihime, we are not going to leave. The North will win this war, I know they will."

America was at war with itself; North and South pitted against each other. Never before would Ichigo have thought that Americans would turn against one another and kill in order to keep something such as slavery going, but here they were, doing that exactly. He had been raised in a household with black workers, but they were never servants. They were paid workers and he had been very fond of them. Now that he was older and on his own, having left the South to come to the North, he had taken up the same practice of his parents. When his blacksmith shop had become successful, he hadn't hesitated to hire a black man that had apprenticed at another blacksmith shop when he was younger to work for him. But it was because of people like him that didn't think slavery was moral that this war had started. Now they were in the depths of the fighting and things were getting worse.

It was normal for his wife to worry; it was something she did on a daily basis. And yet Ichigo still didn't find the situation bad enough for them to pick up and move. They lived deep within town so it would take a while for the southerners to get to them, if they did make it to the town they were living in.

Picking up his hammer, Ichigo hit the metal again, sending red, hot sparks into the air. Orihime moved to the window that was feet away from the fire and looked out of it. "This is bad… what are we going to do if they come here and we haven't left? You've heard the same stories as I… You know what they're doing..."

"There's always a 'what if' Orihime," he said, and set down his hammer, having put the horse shoe into the water, which sent up angry steam in the air. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "We're going to be fine; we've already won some of the battles. The world will be a better place with slavery abolished."

Orihime leaned against his chest and and rested her hands on top of his that were resting on her stomach protectively. They no longer had to worry about themselves, now they had something precious they needed to protect as well.

His hand caressed the slight bulge of her stomach.

"We have more to think about now Ichigo..."

In response she felt his lips against the side of her head, "I know sweetheart, I know."

"Then can you really say everything is going to be all right?"

"What will running accomplish? Our lives are here. If we took off in a wagon we would have nothing. What good would that do for our unborn child?"

Orihime closed her eyes, knowing she had lost, again. "I'm sorry Ichigo... I know you know what's best. I just..."

Her words were swallowed by his lips. The kiss was tender and sweet, which surprised her since her husband was known for being almost cold to her in public. It wasn't because he didn't love her, she knew he did, it was just because he was uncomfortable with showing affection in public. When they were alone he was more forthcoming with his emotions, but even then it was rare.

Melting into the kiss, Orihime enjoyed it with everything she had. These were grueling times and she was afraid of what the future held but as long as she had Ichigo by her side… she could get through anything. If they were driven from their home and business, she knew she'd be okay. They'd be okay… But if anything were to happen to him and he was to - God forbid - die… then she would die along with him. She couldn't live without him.

He pulled away from her lips and smirked at the look of surprise on her face. Ichigo laughed, "Our family is going to get through this and we will live to have more kids yet. You'll see Mrs. Kurosaki, one day our house will be filled with the yells and laughter of children."

Orihime turned in his hold and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, not caring that she was smelling the leather of his apron. "As long as I have you I can make it."

Ichigo felt his heart constrict and he held her tighter against him. Leaning his head down, he rested it on the top of hers. Yes, it was the same for him. As long as he had Orihime in his life he knew he could get through any and all hard times. And even if things were to end badly for _them_, he knew that things in general would somehow turn out right.

All they needed was each other.

_1939 - World War II_

"Don't move! You'll tear open your wounds! Please, stop!" a frantic voice, soft like that of an angel's but filled with anxiety like that of fretting mother, cried. Hands that could have rivaled the voice in softness reached out and touched his shoulders, gently but firmly pushing him back down.

Ichigo opened his eyes and squinted at the light. He could see a head of auburn and that was about it, her facial features blurred by the brightness of the light hanging above them. He blinked a few more times and the auburn revealed itself to actually be of a brunette - no it was black hair and the eyes were violet, not the grey he was expecting to see. And the voice that was telling him to stay down transformed from the angelic voice he had heard to an assertive one. The hands were not as soft. It wasn't her… it wasn't her…

Ichigo stopped in his struggle and looked around at his surroundings, trying to gather his bearings. He wasn't anywhere he recognized.

The last thing he remembered was the fire…

There had been an explosion and he had started to evacuate the building with his friend, Chad, and cousin, Uryu, before the soldiers came to see if they were dead or not. They had managed to safely get out their families and had been trying to get off the streets when another explosion happened not too far from them. Then another had gone off… and another… and another…

The last one had separated them, catching an elderly couple directly and flinging him against a building. He could recall seeing the twins, his little sisters, hit an abandoned vehicle and his parents rushing over to them - his father was limping. Tatsuki was screaming over someone, covered in dirt and ash, debris surrounding them all. Chad was carrying someone and rushing towards him… He couldn't see his wife… He couldn't see Orihime… There was a sharp pain spreading throughout his body and the fire was spreading. So much fire. Why was there so much fire?

"What is this place?" he asked, his voice was raspy and it hurt his throat to speak. The question was barely above a whisper. He tried again, swallowing his pain. This time the inquiry was a bit more assertive and forceful. "Where am I?"

"You're safe. Don't worry," the woman reassured him. "My name is Rukia Abarai."

Rukia Abarai… That name rang a bell…

"Renji's wife," he whispered.

"Yes. We brought you and your companions to our estate. Renji and my brother had sent for you earlier but there was a problem. They found you though; you're safe now."

Now Ichigo remembered. He remembered calling his best friend for help, explaining to him what was happening. They weren't safe. None of them were. He had spoken to Renji for a while before his brother-in-law had stepped in. Ichigo and Byakuya had made the arrangements necessary for their escape out of Germany.

But they came too late. The Nazis had attacked before Byakuya's men could reach Ichigo and his family and friends. They were forced to evacuate and seek shelter elsewhere and wait for them there. But the bombs had made their situation even more difficult.

"My wife…" Ichigo started. "Orihime… Where is she? And Katsumi, where is he?"

Ichigo began struggling, trying to sit up. Rukia pushed him back down.

"They're safe, Ichigo. They're fine."

"I didn't ask that Rukia; I asked where my wife and son were!"

Behind them a door opened slowly and little boy, no older than 4, poked his head in before pushing the door all the way open and rushing towards them.

"Papa!" he cried, running to Ichigo. Despite the pain in his side, Ichigo sat up and caught the tiny boy, hugging him to body. Tears welled in his eyes and sat back to look at his son, wiping the little boy's tears away.

"You're fine. You're okay," he murmured and Rukia took a step back to give them their moment. "Where's your mother?"

Just as he asked, a woman about 6 months pregnant walked through the door slowly. Relief, with an ounce of worry remaining, was written all over her face and she waddled as quickly as she could to her husband. He was the last one to recover from their injuries, but that didn't matter. All that mattered was that he was awake and he would be fine.

Ichigo held his arm out to her and the small family clung onto each other, Orihime's soft sobs of joy were the only thing heard. He pressed kisses all over their faces, happy they were alive and safe, in his arms.

Rukia smiled and left a parting sentence before leaving them to their privacy, "The rest of your family and friends are all here. I'll let them know that you're awake."

Orihime thanked her before turning her attention on Ichigo, who was absently stroking her stomach.

Placing a hand on either side of his face, she rested her forehead on his and Katsumi snuggled deeper into his father's embrace, resting his head in the crook of Ichigo's neck.

"We're fine," Ichigo whispered. "We're going to be just fine. Together - we'll be okay."

Ichigo whispered sweet nothings and reassurances to them for a while, knowing they were scared, and made the promise to himself that no matter what he'd protect them, his loved ones. His life. His reasons for living. The more times Ichigo said it, the more it became etched into his head: they'd be just fine. He'd make sure of it, no matter what.

_Present Day _

Orihime Inoue, now Kurosaki leaned on her palm as she stared down at the checkbook. No matter how hard she tried to make the numbers work they just weren't coming together. Her husband of a year, Ichigo Kurosaki, was in medical school and was also doing his residency. Because of that they had accrued **a lot **of debt. Orihime was juggling two jobs and was contemplating even having to take on a third that she could do in the wee hours of the morning from home.

Something had to do be done to get the numbers out of the red. Rubbing at her tired, puffy eyes she felt like breaking down in tears. When they had gotten married she knew things weren't going to be easy but somehow she hoped they would be easier than _this_. They had acquired more expenses than what their original finance plan for two married college students had detailed; Ichigo had promised it would get better though. It had it had to get better somehow, someway… Things… they would get better - there was no room for things to get worse. The only thing there was room for was improvement.

Both Ichigo and Orihime were very dedicated students and hard-working as well. Those were skills, strengths, that just didn't go away. They stayed with a person for the rest of their lives, aiding them and guiding them on their path. So even if she did end up taking another job, she'd get by and would help her husband get by with her unwavering perseverance.

Even with that reassuring thought placed in mind, she still fell short and found fault. It was just so hard at times and the pressure, the stress, was very much so eating her alive.

Looking at the bills in front of her and back down at her checkbook, Orihime sighed and wrote out the appropriate amount money needed to pay for rent that month. Now all she had left was about 3 more pieces of mail demanding she or Ichigo pay something and had to remember to make a phone call to the electric company about get the electricity back on.

Promptly, at 7:30, Ichigo walked through the threshold of the tiny apartment he shared with his beautiful wife, Orihime Kurosaki. He trudged into the kitchen hoping to get something to eat before deservingly throwing himself into bed, quite literally, but instead of walking into an empty kitchen, he walked in to find said wife profusely thanking someone over the phone.

"Arigato," she said, a tired smile in place of her usual cheery smile. "Same to you. Have a good night. Bye."

Ichigo leaned against the kitchen counter and eyed Orihime suspiciously.

"What was all that about?" he asked curiously.

Orihime sighed for what must have been the millionth time that day. "That was the electric company. I had to ask them to turn back on the power because when I came home, it was shut off. I don't know how long it was off for, but it was long enough to make the food in the fridge go bad… and we just bought groceries too…"

Her voice trailed off and Ichigo knew she had stopped speaking in fear of breaking down and crying in front of him again. He slowly reached out gently pulled her body to his, wrapping his arms around her small frame. The first sigh to escape her lips was a shuddering one and as soon as she had released the tears came running down her face like a waterfall. They soaked through Ichigo's shirt, staining the piece of clothing but at that moment he didn't care. The only thing, the only person that mattered in that moment was his Hime, sad and stressed out because of things they really had no control over. The only thing they could do was do what the rest of society did and abide by the laws.

"I'm sorry, Hime," he whispered. He stroked her silky auburn mane and rested his cheek on the crown of her head. "I am so, so sorry. This isn't the life I wanted for us. Not at all."

Her soft cries came to an end and she sniffled before pulling back slightly to look at her significant other in the eye.

"You silly man, you. You have nothing to be sorry for, absolutely nothing. This isnt' your fault, Ichigo. Our life could consist of us living in a box or the car and eating Pop Tarts everyday and I'd be just fine because I'd be with you," Orihime reached up and caressed his cheek, smiling slightly. Her smile faltered a little as she thought about the source of her plight, "It just… I - it just gets so hard sometimes, Ichigo."

Ichigo gave her a small smile in return and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I know, love, I know. But soon enough I'll be able to give you the life you deserve _with _me… and all the headaches and stress and the frowns…" he said, turning the current frown she wore on her pretty face upside down with two fingers. "They'll all disappear. I promised it to you on our wedding day and I'm promising you again now."

Orihime studied Ichigo's eyes for a few moments, just staring into the depths of his smoldering amber eyes. And after what seemed like forever, a small smile started to appear on her face and it started growing and growing until she was beaming at him. She snaked her arms around his neck and his own arms slid down to her waist, holding her in place.

"You're a very persistent man, you know that?" she asked coyly, playing with his tangerine-colored hair.

"Yes, I do know that," he answered truthfully, grinning boyishly. "It's just something you're going to have to get used to if this whole five lifetimes thing is gonna work out."

Orihime laughed, shaking her head ever so slightly, "Well I'll make good on my promise to remember it if you make good on yours."

"Deal," he said and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

"And it's five lifetimes and forever after that, Mister. Don't forget the 'forever' part - it's just as important," Orihime added after they broke apart.

Ichigo only smirked.

"I wouldn't have it any other way…"

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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**That's a wrap! Five scenes of five different lifetimes - done. **

**This doesn't pertain to Fanfiction account holders, but to the guests: As much as I honestly hate doing so, because they take so long before showing up in email alerts and as a review for the actual story, I am going back to moderating guest reviews. So you can say whatever you want in a guest review if it makes you happy, yeah, but it won't necessarily show up on the website for the everyone to see. If you're just like 'hey, I'm too lazy to login and review' then by all means review and I'll leave it up - promise. But if you're trying to start problems and flame the hell out of me, - ONLINE of all places - it gets deleted. What I woke up to this morning was ridiculous so I'm putting an end to that whole fiasco. **

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**K.G.**


	6. You've Mistaken Us For What?

**Young Hearts**

**Chapter 6:**

**You've Mistaken Us For What?!**

**Prompt:** Family.

**Summary:** On their first date together, they were confused for brother and sister; it's the first time and it certainly won't be the last.

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

_Read. Enjoy. Then, review!_

* * *

**_~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~_**

* * *

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. It wasn't supposed to be happening and yet, somehow, some damn way, it was.

This would happen, to him of all people, on his first date in years with the most genuine and down-to-earth (and so totally unlike the last bitch he was with, a.k.a. Senna) girl ever. She'd probably never want anything to do with him again. Great, just great. Just his freaking luck.

Their first official date had been ruined by some random ass crippled, old lady shuffling up to them and accusing him of heinous crimes!

"_Young man, you ought to be ashamed of yourself! That is your sister!" _

Orihime's squeak had covered his unmanly gasp and her blubbering and rambling hid his stumped stammering. Ichigo had looked around for a second, trying to see if Karin or Yuzu, his younger twin sisters, were around or if possibly, the old bat was talking to someone else. There was no other couples in their vicinity though: just them and the senile old coot hollering about disgrace and incest and - dear Kami, did she just use the 'r' word?!

Pause. Wait. He must have been dreaming because there was absolutely no way this was going on. Was this some type of practical joke? A prank? He loved jokes and pranks! They were awesome… just when they were played on other people. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe this was Kami-sama's way of telling him that there was no possible way he could have scored a date with such a gorgeous and real person, inside and out.

"I am calling the police! The authorities will know how to handle a perp like you!" the elderly woman yelled, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Ichigo glared at the woman, but there was also a tinge of incredulity in his eyes. There was no way this was real. This damn woman was crazy! Who the hell walks up to people and makes the accusations she made and then threatens to call the police for a crime that could very well land him in jail, sharing a prison cell with some serial killer or creepy stalker or pedophile or actual rapist! Sure, he was tough and all and could hold his own, but do you know what they do to people in prison?! They would mop the floor with him and he had heard stories of people getting tattoos in jail. He hated needles! Not to mention he'd heard about the occasional men that would put the moves on the new comers - babies are what they called them. Babies! He did not want that, or need that, to happen to him either.

"Alright. Show's over," Ichigo said, gently grabbing Orihime's wrist. "We're leaving. Someone else can deal with this nutcase."

He, Ichigo Kurosaki, famous actor and model, would not, absolutely not, go to jail. No sharing cells with real crooks and criminals; no unnecessary mopping of the floors with his handsome money-maker; no needles; and no baby names or cat calls from other men.

As the pair began walking away, the grey-haired, frail-looking woman grabbed the umbrella that had been hanging on her arm by its handle and whacked Ichigo across the head. Orihime screamed and ducked under another wild swing of the woman's arm.

"Are you crazy?" Ichigo yelled, batting away the umbrella as the woman continued her attempts to hit him again. The answer was obvious already: this senile witch was bat-shit crazy. She belonged in a retirement home - no. No, no, no. She belonged in the damn asylum. Were all old ladies like this? He certainly hoped not for his sake because if so, he had no clue how he would survive being married to someone into their senior years.

Ichigo looked over at Orihime who was trying to get the lady to stop her assault on him. Would he be able to survive marriage with someone like her? Just after having known her for a little over six months, he could. But marriage was something to think about once he got past the first date.

The woman swung at Orihime when she got too close and then turned her attention to Ichigo again. Was it just a coincidence that there were suddenly no other people in this damn park to see this? He and Orihime had been to the park close to Tessai's many times before when they met up for lunch sometimes - for the record, they were not dates - and the park was always swarming with people: small children and their parents, joggers, other couples enjoying the scenery, etc. So why the hell was the park so isolated all of a sudden?

Ichigo, having had enough of this encounter, snatched the umbrella up from the woman and grabbed Orihime's hand, turning and running to where the swings they would occasionally watch the sunset from was. (Also not dates - just friendly and platonic, not-in-any-way-romantic, outings.) They ran to the jungle gym, rather immaturely one might add, and climbed up and into the 'princess's tower'.

"Ichigo-kun, why are we up here?" Orihime asked, watching the woman hobble over to where they ran through the 'window'.

"I don't know! I just ran!" he answered, looking over her shoulder, the tight space making them stand extremely close in proximity.

She glanced back at him and her breath caught at the way his eyes shined in the setting sun's light. The last cast perfect shadows on his face, illuminating his most notable and handsome of traits, making him look even more dashing than what he already was. Was it bad that in the craziness of all that had just taken place, she wanted to kiss him? He looked down at her then, just as she thought about his kissable his lips looked, and his eyebrows knitted in worry.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked when Orihime looked away from him, embarrassed by something.

"N-Nothing," she replied hastily, giggling self-consciously. Yup, it was bad, very bad, she decided.

Ichigo watched her for a moment before turning his head to glance out of the window in the tower again. "Would it be wrong if I drop the umbrella and we run to the car?"

Orihime opened her mouth to answer when another voice rang out. "There she is! Kaa-san, I found Obaa-san!"

Two females, one older and the other significantly younger, ran up the playground, approaching the jungle gym.

"Okaa-san, what are you doing? I have told you before not to wander off!" the eldest of the two newcomers scolded the older woman, grabbing hold of her elbow and trying to tug her along.

"No, no, Ayaka. I am not going anywhere until you call the police!"

Ichigo and Orihime exchanged glances and looked back at the three below. Oh shit… Prison, here comes Ichigo. Orange hair and an orange jumpsuit would not go well together; they'd call him a carrot in prison. Yeah, that's what they'd call him: Carrot Top Kurosaki.

"Call the police for what?" the younger one, the granddaughter, asked.

"Because that hooligan is a thief!" the witch, err- elderly woman, pointed at Ichigo and Orihime, who were trying to not be seen and scuffling around as they tried to push one another towards the opening to deal with the situation.

The daughter of the woman, Ayaka, looked up at the orange-headed adults and raised an eyebrow questioningly. That man… she recognized him from somewhere… TV perhaps? Hmm, curious…

Pushing the thought aside, she called out, "Excuse me, my mother wants me to call the cops because she said one of you is a thief? You stole something from her?"

The off-her-rockers old lady added, "That man! He stole my umbrella and he is also a disgusting, repulsive pervert! I saw him with my own eyes - he kissed that young girl's hand and held her so intimately and should be ashamed of himself. That is his sister!"

That's when Ichigo decided he had reached his limit and tolerance for bullshit and retorted, "Are you her daughter? Did you know that she needs to be put into mental institute?"

The daughter of the daughter, the granddaughter, indignantly yelled "Hey!" but Ichigo kept going.

"No, 'hay' is for horses! I am not a horse! That thing insulted me, threatened to call the police on me, and abused me with this umbrella," he explained, holding it up through the makeshift window a.k.a. hole. (He had declared in his mind that it was in fact a hole…)

"And she -" he continued as he pulled Orihime into view. "- is not my sister! We were trying to have a date!"

Ayaka looked back and forth between Orihime and Ichigo for a moment before turning back to her mother. "Is that true?"

Ichigo looked at her unbelievably. Of course it was true! What? Just because he was holed up in a child's tower with his date and the women's umbrella, he was lying?

As for the old lady, she made a face at her daughter, basically saying 'duh' before replying, "Yes. Have you not seen their hair?"

"So that makes us brother and sister in your mind?!" he asked, completely mind blown at her ludicrous reasoning.

"Yes! I've never laid eyes on a pair of orange-haired people before so it is only natural to mistaken you two for siblings!" the woman defended her reasoning.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my life!"

"Well it's either siblings or you two freaks just have a weird taste in fetishes."

Freaks… Fetishes… What the hell?

"Anyone who has a fetish is weird, you old bat!"

Ayaka decided to step in then before things progressed from PG-13 to R. "Okay, how about we get you home and leave these people alone, yeah?"

A hand tugged at Ichigo's arm to get his attention. He tore his eyes away from the old lady and company to look at her. Orihime was nervously chewing on her bottom lip. Whispering, she asked, "Can we give them back the umbrella now and just leave things at that?"

What? She wanted him to hand over the 'weapon' the old hag had been using on them minutes before and then continue on as if nothing had occurred? He was about to voice his thoughts when he took note of the look in her delicate eyes. With that single look his anger began to lessen. If Orihime could overlook this then damn it all - maybe, just maybe he could as well. Although, it was very much unlikely, the least he could do was try for her sake.

He nodded at her and then turned back to the hole, "You!"

His voice caught Ayaka's attention, "Yes?"

With a flick of his wrist he tossed the umbrella out the hole, where it sailed through the air and landed inches away from their feet, "This belongs to the old bat."

"Why I never!" the old lady dramatically exclaimed with disbelief. "Not only is he a pervert but he's also disrespectful punk! Look, he has probably damaged my precious umbrella."

"I am pretty damn sure you did more damage to my head than I did to that," Ichigo huffed.

"Ichigo-kun..."

He closed his eyes at hearing Orihime's timid voice from behind him. With a deep breath, he opened them again and looked at Ayaka, "Please just take your mother away before things get even crazier."

Ayaka smiled at him in apology, "I am sorry for all this, I hope your head is all right. My mother can be… a little forceful."

"No kidding."

"Please accept my most humble apologies," Ayaka bowed politely, and with her daughter, took the woman's hands and trotted off. Ichigo turned away from the hole and leaned his head against the metal of the 'tower'.

"I cannot believe this happened."

Orihime hummed her agreement and then surprised him by leaning her head on his shoulder. "Yes, it was unusual but at least now we'll have something funny to look back on when we're older. This has made for a very interesting first date."

"It certainly has… I'll tell you one thing though," Ichigo mumbled, "if someone ever calls us siblings again, I will probably punch their lights out."

Her eyes widened, "N-no! You can't!"

"Watch me."

Ichigo was being honest, brutally honest, but honest all the same. It pissed him off to no end that they had been mistaken as siblings. There was nothing about them that was remotely related, sure their hair color was close to the same - but it wasn't _the_ exact same. Hell no, if someone did this again they would have much to suffer...

* * *

**_~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~_**

* * *

**Maybe some of you were able to tell, maybe some of you weren't - either way that's okay. This chapter was a companion/spin-off ficlet to my story _Or Something_. It's prior to the events taking place in that story though and is, first and foremost, a spin-off a.k.a. side story. But I do hope you liked it!**

**(Thanks for reading our writing! It has been so much fun to write for you guys! This is K.G. in case you were wondering. Just wanted to add my thanks to this author's note at the end.)**

**Please review!**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**K.G.**


	7. Does He Really?

**Young Hearts**

**Chapter 7:**

**Does He Really…?**

**Prompt:** Affections.

**Summary:** The oldest child of Ichigo and Orihime Kurosaki never really got to see just how much her father loved his wife, but there were tell-tale signs...

**Rating:** K+

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

_Read. Enjoy. Then, review!_

* * *

_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

* * *

"Kana, be careful with that," a voice spoke to a young girl. The little girl looked up at her mother who had spoken so suddenly. Her big brown eyes grew in size and she began to hiccup, the starting effects of the outburst of tears that were sure to trickle down her chubby cheeks.

"It's okay Misaki, she can play with it."

"But mother," Misaki sighed, trying to stay her patient with her aging mother. Misaki Nakamura, formerly Kurosaki, was the only daughter of Ichigo and Orihime Kurosaki. She had married five years ago and had the little girl who was in front of the pair now.

Orihime bent down and picked up the girl. She rubbed her cheek against Kana's own chubby one, "I can't believe how much she looks like your father."

"Strange really…" Misaki grumbled. "…Considering the fact that her father and I have dark hair."

It was true, Misaki had not inherited her parents' unique color of hair; instead she had inherited the boring color of her grandfather, Isshin Kurosaki. Black. It had always been something she had been jealous about when her little brothers came into the world after her with a head full of bright-colored hair, matching their father's to a 'T'.

"Genetics are funny that way." Orihime commented lightly as Kana began to jabber to her about the day she had at her preschool. Orihime turned her attention to Kana and began to comment on the things she was telling her.

Misaki rolled her eyes and walked to the fireplace, several steps away from where her mother was holding her daughter. The same picture frames that had littered the mantle had been there when she was growing up. The first picture was of her parents on their very first date together. It was hard to believe her father had ever looked so young before. Her mother had told her that the date had taken place at a coffee shop not far from the college they both went to. Misaki had always found it ironic that someone had happened to snap a picture of the event. Apparently it was Renji and Rukia, old family friends that had managed to carry a camera with them on that specific day.

"If they hadn't have thought to set us up, I doubt our lives would have turned out the way they did."

Misaki jumped, surprised at hearing her mother's voice beside her. Kana was now on the floor playing with the horse statue that Misaki had told her not to play with before. Orihime gently touched the picture with her fingertip, "I remember how angry your father was that they brought a camera and forced him to take a decent picture with me."

"Yeah, dad's weird that way when it comes to unexpected photographs."

Orihime nodded, "Yes, so you can imagine the yelling they got from him and in front of all those people too. I was mortified."

Misaki's eyes went to the next picture frame; this one was of their wedding day. They had married in the church that her father's parents had been married in. Misaki raised an eyebrow: in this picture her father had Orihime in his arms and was dunking her dramatically while kissing her. "This one totally blows me away - dad usually never shows this type of emotion."

"Can you blame him? It was our wedding day." Orihime laughed merrily.

"Still..."

"It wasn't long after that you came into our lives."

"You two were crazy to start having kids right away."

Orihime shrugged, "I wanted them, so did your father, he was just much more... soft-spoken about it."

Misaki looked at Orihime, curiosity in her eyes, "Why is dad like that? It was rare for him to ever tell us he loved us - and yet we always knew he did with the things he'd do."

"He's very reserved about his emotions. Imagine how all these years have been for me. If you don't even remember him telling you he loved you very often, do you think he told me every day? Heaven's no." Orihime touched another picture that was of Ichigo holding Misaki for the first time. It had always been one dear to her - to her it showed a side of him that was rarely seen, if ever seen. "Like you said, you knew your father loved you with the things he did. The same goes for me. I know he loves me by the small and simple things he does that normally he wouldn't do."

"But… I still think it's important that dad tell you he loves you."

"Oh he does!" Orihime exclaimed quickly, "A lot of the time when we are..." she trailed off, glancing over at her granddaughter that was playing innocently with toys, "making love..."

"Mother!"

"What?! Oh c'mon Misaki you're a married woman now, you know these things happen."

Misaki cringed at the mental image that had now popped into her head thanks to her mother, "So, I still don't want to think about you and dad doing it! It's... gross."

Orihime laughed, her laugh almost like music, "You make it sound like we're old people getting ready for a retirement home. We're only in our late 40's Misaki."

"Almost 50." Misaki retorted.

"Fine - almost 50. I don't like to say that but it's true." Orihime gave in. "Anyway, just because we're that age doesn't mean we don't still love each other and like to express it."

"But doesn't dad, I don't know, bring you home flowers or something? I think that'd be much more romantic than… you know."

"Misaki, Misaki, have you really forgotten some of the small things your father would do for me?"

Misaki did not want to admit that apparently she had forgotten. The moment she had turned 18 she had left the house and only returned for holidays. So, she had missed a lot of the things her younger brothers had seen.

Orihime walked over to a small chest that was beside a rocking chair that Misaki had remembered always being there. As she watched her mother open the lid and grab a small stack of papers that were turning a yellow from age, she gasped. "Wait..."

Her mother smiled, her eyes shining, "Yes, these are just something he'd do for me. I never knew when or where I'd find one… but always I would find one somewhere."

Misaki walked over and looked at the papers from over her mother's shoulder. Notes. That's what filled her mother's hands.

"I do remember seeing you brushing away tears with one of those in your hands..."

"Yes, they always managed to make me cry. Your father - he isn't good with expressing himself in words… but give him a pen and paper… and he'll surprise you."

"Does he know you still have these?"

Orihime shook her head, "Nope, but I'm sure he assumes. Ichigo is no dummy."

"Have the two of you… ever talked about them?"

"The notes?"

"Yes."

Again Orihime shook her head, her fingers brushing the notes in her hands, feeling the paper crinkle with the movement, "No… it would embarrass him if I even so much as mentioned it, and I fear he'd stop doing it all together. So we both pretend that we don't know it's happening."

With a last look Orihime put the notes back in the chest and clicked the lid shut. "Now don't you go and mention any of this to your father. I still want to be finding notes from him scattered around the house when I turn 80."

Misaki laughed, "I promise."

Just then the door opened and the one they had talked about entered the house. His brown eyes filled with mild surprise and then he shrugged, placing his jacket on the rack that was beside the front door.

"Hi Misaki."

"Hi Daddy."

Now his eyebrow did raise, daddy… she hadn't called him that since she was… 15 years old? Had it really been that long? It added to his shock when she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you."

"Uh..." he looked quizzically at Orihime, who only shrugged with a puzzled look on her face as well, "yeah, you too."

Misaki rolled her eyes and was glad he couldn't see it. There it was, he couldn't seem to say it but, when his arms tightened around her, it was just as powerful if he had said those words.

Ichigo caught sight of his granddaughter then.

"Kana's here!" Ichigo proclaimed happily. He released Misaki and rushed over to Kana, picking her up and tossing her into the air, just to catch her that easily. Misaki watched as Kana squealed with delight and her tiny giggles filled the living room.

After spending a few minutes with Kana, Ichigo set her down and watched as Misaki went over to her and began helping her get her shoes on that she had taken off sometime while she had visited her mother.

He went over to Orihime and while looking at Misaki with the corner of his eye he leaned over and kissed her. Orihime smiled against his lips and kissed him back, her hands going to his waist. And then, when he stopped kissing her only to move his lips to her ear and whisper something that made her cheeks flush and giggle escape her did Misaki look up.

She watched as her mother swatted at Ichigo playfully, her eyes dancing and filled with love. Yep, there it was, even though they were turning into old fogies it was still easy to see that they loved each other more than anything. And even though her father hardly said the words… it was abundantly clear as his hands gently took a hold of her mother's, that he loved her with all his heart. His wedding band glistened in the light of the room. That was another thing she always remembered. He kept it cleaned and polished all the time.

When she was little she remembered asking him why he did that.

_"Because… it's a symbol of the vow and promise I made your mother. And with that big of a vow, I ought to keep it in top shape, shouldn't I?"_

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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**Please review!**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**K.G.**


	8. Ageless Love

**Young Hearts**

**Chapter 8:**

**Ageless Love**

**Prompt:** Ageless.

**Summary:** It didn't matter how old they got: the love these two had for each other was ageless.

**Rating:** K

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

_Read. Enjoy. Then, review!_

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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It was dangerous, what she was doing… but she didn't care. That feeling, that weightless feeling… like she could take one more step, defy gravity, and fly or take one more step and feel the exhilarating thrill of the fall - it was an exciting feeling. She held her arms out by her sides, like she used to do as a child, and closed her eyes. Upon opening them, for a moment, she was suspended in time and reality seemed to escape her; for a moment, she was a little girl again, running at full speed to her loving older brother, Sora, with the biggest of smiles on her delicate face. The wind tousled her hair as it did that day, the only difference being that her hair was not shortly cut in a bob - as a result of teasing and bullying - instead it flowed behind her and billowed in the breeze. It curled around her, giving her an unearthly appearance… a beautiful, ethereal appearance. Her white dress swished around her and she let her head tilt back, revealing in the peace surrounding her. The steely ashen-grey of her eyes were once again hidden as her lids fell shut one final time. Her toes dug into the ground before the woman slowly took a step forward… one more step…

Just one…

But just like every other time she did this, she was stopped right before she could take that last step… the last step before flying or falling… the last step before she could reach out and finally make it to Sora.

A strong pair of warm arms locked around her slim waist, pulling her back into an even stronger chest, chiseled by sharp contours and defined by toned muscles.

"You're in another world again… that place I can't go to with you," a deep, yet subtly smooth voice whispered in her ear.

The woman relaxed in the embrace she found herself trapped in, resting her arms over the pair that wrapped around her, and allowed a brilliant smile spread across her face.

"I guess I am," she softly said.

The pair was quiet for a moment, listening to the sounds of nature around them; to the sudden stillness of the air; to each other's breathing.

The man, a tad bit more than a foot taller than the woman, resting his head on her shoulder, nuzzled the crook of her neck and engulfed her in his masculine scent and warmth. She was freezing - her skin was ice-cold to the touch - and he had to wonder just how long she had been out here.

"Orihime-" he spoke, breaking the silence - that silence that was so rare to find.

"Ichigo, do you know what day it is?" Orihime asked, her voice was nothing more than a sweet whisper, a gentle coo mothers soothed infants with.

Ichigo, tall and strong, smiled against her skin. He knew very well what day it was.

"Yes, I do," he responded, gently reaching for her hand, specifically the left one. Lightly skimming over the silver band adorning her ring finger, Ichigo continued, "Today makes ten years…"

Orihime hummed her acknowledgment of what he said and felt the smile return to her face.

Ten years. Today they'd celebrate being married for ten years. Being together for only three years prior to tying the knot, but having known each other for years before that, Ichigo and Orihime Kurosaki lived each and every day as if they had just fallen in love all over again. They knew each other inside and out; accepted their significant other, faults and all, and loved without restraint.

Ichigo stood up straight and rubbed Orihime's bare shoulders, a bit warmer than before, but still cold enough to make him worry about her catching a cold. He pulled her back against her chest and crossed his arms over her bosom, resting his head on the crown of her head of luscious auburn hair.

"What're you doing out here so early?" he quietly questioned.

"Thinking, I suppose," she answered and Ichigo was almost unsure if she had actually answered or if he had imagined the answer. He strained to hear what she said, but still caught wind of it. "About you… us… Sora…"

Ichigo smiled a sad smile, knowing that her late older brother's anniversary would be coming up soon.

"You know, he'd be really proud of you, Hime. Just like I am," he started, speaking lowly. "You've become such a strong woman, Orihime, and no doubt, you're ten times the woman your mother ever was. Sora would be so happy and so proud to know, to see that you turned out as magnificent as you have."

"I know, Ichi, I know…" she said. "Sometimes, I can't help but wish that he was still here… But if he had lived that day… had he survived the accident, there's a pretty good chance that we wouldn't have met. Things might have turned out entirely different that day and I would have never met you in the clinic. From there on out things would have been different. We probably wouldn't have bumped into each other on our first day of high school. I might not have developed my Shun Shun Rikka. We wouldn't have fought countless battles side by side. I would have never left and I would have never realized that I loved you. We wouldn't be standing here, married with any kids. We'd probably have families of our own. We'd know each other, yeah, because of Tatsuki-chan, but I don't think our lives would be the way they are right now if certain things hadn't happened to us."

Ichigo was silent for a moment, letting the information sink, and wondering what made her think of what she had just told him.

"That may very well be true, but to keep thinking like that would eventually lead to one of us sounding like we regret the way our lives turned out. And I personally don't regret a thing. At times, I wish Mom was here, to meet you and Masaki and Akari. She'd adore you and there's no doubt in my mind that she'd spoil her granddaughters rotten. Then, of course, when this little guy decided that he was ready to meet his family, she would have spoiled him too," Ichigo said, sliding his hands down to Orihime's swollen belly. "I know she isn't here to do any of that, and I've accepted that even though it hurts sometimes to think about, but I also know that she's watching us… just like Sora is… And just like me, he wouldn't want you to think 'what if.'"

She grinned up at him. "I don't regret anything, Ichigo-kun. Never that... I probably couldn't do any better, despite what Chizuru-chan or Keigo-kun may say. No one would love me more than you do; no one would have stuck around through all my fears and insecurities, through all my weird tastes and odd habits. No one would have helped me when I first got pregnant… You did though. I haven't gotten down from cloud nine since we got married. You pamper me and make me feel like a princess, and treat me way better than I probably deserve. You even read some of my manga and eat my food without any problems, now! And when we found out I was pregnant with Masaki… you were the only to get to me. You helped me realize that I'd never be _her._ You helped me see that I wasn't my mother and that my children would never go through the things that Sora and I did. And I thank Kami for you every day, Ichigo…"

Her voice became thick as her throat tightened; Orihime felt tears well up in her eyes and closed them upon feeling the first slide down her cheek.

"It all makes me wonder when my good luck is going to run out," she finished, laughing a bit, although it was more of a sniffle combined with a bitter laugh.

Ichigo tightened his hold on her, bringing her back from her inner musings.

"It isn't luck, Hime," he reassured her. "It's because we love each other as much as we do that our relationship works. Because we trust and respect each other, we were able to get married. Because we're open with one another and tell each other everything, we were both able to get over that fear that all first time parents have and start a family. And even though your fear ran deeper than mine because of your past experiences, Hime, we still got over that obstacle - _as a team_. Your parents weren't a team and that's what separates us from them. That's what makes our relationship successful. We don't owe our good fortune to luck; we owe it ourselves."

"And love," Orihime added, giggling a bit.

"Yes, and love," Ichigo confirmed, chuckling.

They were silent for a few moments, staring into each other's eyes, grey clashing with amber. The look they shared was one of pure love, tender and passionate and heart stopping.

Their moment was interrupted by the sound of tiny feet quickly running towards them, pittering and pattering on the ground. A little girl with bright orange hair, brighter than her father's and as silky as her mother's, ran towards the Kurosaki couple with a toothy and silly grin plastered on her face. Her arms were out to her sides and she ran without a care for anything to the people who loved her most in the world. Weightless, as if she could defy gravity at any second and fly. Carefree, as if she could fall to experience an exhilarating thrill at any moment. It reminded Orihime of the way she used to run to Sora after school, the only difference being that this child was running to her and Ichigo. This child, with her short hair free of constraint and chocolate brown, doe-shaped eyes, was happy - just like she had been with Sora. This child, this little girl, was happy. She was loved and she loved. And it was the strength of her relationship with Ichigo that made it possible; their love was the only reason that child was there and as happy as she was.

Orihime watched, almost in slow-motion, as their daughter ran to them before closing her eyes. Behind her eyelids, a 33-year-old Orihime watched as an 11-year-old Orihime, short and adorable, ran to Sora just like her own daughter did to her. She looked on as the younger version of herself ran into Sora's awaiting arms, hugging him with everything she had. Sora stood and spun her around, a smile on his face. They talked about her day at school, about his day at work and began walking away from her. The Inoue siblings turned to her then, similar smiles on both of their faces, and waved goodbye before continuing their walk…

Sora had loved her as if she was his own, not as his little sister, but rightfully as his daughter. He showed her what it meant to be loved and showered her in his love… and that's exactly what Orihime did to her own daughter. Masaki Kurosaki would never be abused like she had been, she'd never be left alone, and she'd never feel the pain of losing her loved ones - not until she was older and ready to take the world by storm. Orihime would make sure of that - no matter what. Both she and Ichigo would…

Opening her eyes again, Orihime giggled as Masaki launched herself into Ichigo's arms just to have Ichigo spin her around like Sora had done to her years before.

'_History has a way of repeating itself, it would seem,'_ she thought. '_Let's just hope not everything gets repeated...'_

"Happy anniversary, Kaa-san!" a shrill voice yelled, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Orihime smiled tenderly as Masaki leaned down from Ichigo's arms and kissed Orihime on the forehead. Orihime wrinkled her nose a bit.

"Ne, thank you, Masaki, but did you brush your teeth?" Orihime asked, raising an eyebrow at the 5-year-old.

Ichigo burst out laughing and Masaki playfully covered her mouth.

"I can't reach the sink, Kaa-san!" she protested loudly.

"Well let's go fix that," Ichigo said through his chortles, ruffling the little girl's vibrant hair, messing it up even more.

Orihime rested her hands on her stomach and sighed. There wasn't anything in her life she could complain about; there wasn't anything else she wanted. She had a loving husband, two beautiful daughters, and a son on the way. She was surrounded by family and friends, and truth be told, Orihime had expected only a portion of that to come true…

Freeing her from her thoughts yet again was her stomach growling, roaring was more of an accurate term. Ichigo stopped walking with Masaki in his arms and turned back to look at his wife, eyes wide open.

"Was that you… or Sora?" he asked incredulously.

Orihime blushed a dark shade of red and squeaked.

"A-ano, it might have been us both," she explained, embarrassed.

"Ahaha! That means we can have a big breakfast with lots and lots of red bean paste and wasabi sauce and tons of ichigo!" Masaki exclaimed, throwing herself backwards in Ichigo's arms in sheer childish delight, knowing that because her mother was pregnant she had to eat more and that meant everybody ate more. "Sora-nii-chan, this is Masaki-nee-chan speaking to you~ we're gonna have daifuku and dango and mochi-mochi and dorayaki! Yippee!"

"Masaki, no we are not. Your teeth are going to rot out of your mouth!" Ichigo chastised, lightly reprimanding his eldest child.

Masaki sat back up in his arms and cocked her head to the side, similar to the way she had seen Orihime do so, asking innocently, "So no daifuku? Or dango? Or mochi and dorayaki?"

Ichigo looked over to Orihime, hoping that she would be able to say no to their eldest daughter with much more ease than he could have but instead found his vivacious wife drooling at the thought of such delicacies for breakfast. She was leaning towards them, eyes glazed over, drool hanging from the side of her mouth, and said mouth open in a cute 'o' shape; it was quite comical to see actually. Ichigo sighed in defeat.

"Fine… we can have daifuku," he grumbled.

"And dango?" Masaki asked excitedly.

"Yes."

"And mochi too?" Orihime piped in.

Ichigo felt his eyebrow twitch.

"Yes."

"And dorayaki?!" they squealed simultaneously.

Ichigo groaned reluctantly, "Yes."

Orihime and Masaki clapped excitedly but Ichigo swooped in, raining on their parade.

"But you're both going to brush your teeth, several times today."

His ladies pouted of course and mumbled under their breaths as the three Kurosakis made their way into their home. Ichigo and Masaki headed straight for the bathroom, Masaki animatedly narrating her dreams of the night before to Ichigo, while Orihime wandered over to her youngest daughter's room. The door was closed and across it were the letters A-K-A-R-I, spelling out her name 'Akari', in muted lime green and soft neon pink.

Slowly pushing the door open, Orihime poked her in to find her second child awake in her crib, babbling to herself. Akari had inherited Orihime's auburn hair and grey-colored eyes, but was tan in complexion just like Ichigo and had his sharply defined facial features. But she had a quietness and gentleness to her that Ichigo and Orihime couldn't quite place; whether it was from her family - most likely from someone like Sora - or his - probably stemming from his mother's side if so -, they didn't know, but Ichigo had a feeling that it was just another trait picked up from Orihime.

As if she sensed that someone else was in the room with her, Akari rolled on her stomach and got on all fours, lifting her head up to look at her mother. Orihime stepped in fully and closed the door behind her, smiling at her baby. The 11-month-old pressed all her weight on her hands, lifted her butt into the air and pushed herself to her feet; she teetered on unsteady feet for a second before gaining a sense of stability and taking two wobbly steps to the railings of her white-wood crib - a gift from her godfather, Chad. The infant raised her arms in the air, a silent request to be picked up and Orihime quickly obliged.

"Good morning, princess," she cooed. "Did you sleep well? You hungry?"

Akari rambled on, moving her tiny hands this way and that way, before grinning toothlessly at her mother. Akari had always preferred Orihime to Ichigo for some reason and while, at times, it made Ichigo jealous, it didn't bother him because he liked to point out that Masaki was a Daddy's Girl. The first word that the second daughter of Ichigo and Orihime Kurosaki had spoken was in fact 'Okaa', a fact that made Orihime beam with pride.

Smoothing down the hairs on the child's head, Orihime began walking to the door, talking to Akari in her baby language - gibbering and jabbering along with the baby - and agreeing to everything the infant squeaked.

Ichigo looked up as they walked into the kitchen, having heard their nonsensical talk from down the hallway.

"Well would you look at that, Masaki, the loons are up and in full swing," he joked as Orihime placed Akari in her high chair.

Masaki giggled before greeting her baby sister, "Ohayo, Kari!"

"Kari," Ichigo called out, trying to get the infant's attention.

Upon seeing her father and hearing his voice, Akari let out a surprisingly loud shriek for his attention, pounding on the table of her seat. As soon as Ichigo smiled at her, Akari began kicking her legs and screeching even more. She may have adored Orihime, but nobody said she didn't love him too…

Moving into the main part of the kitchen to help with breakfast, Orihime glanced back over her shoulder to watch as Ichigo picked her from the high chair and threw her into the air, causing the baby to let out shriek of delight, mouth open in a smile. Akari laughed and screamed as Ichigo played with her; and at one point, let her arms out just like Masaki had done that morning, reflecting Orihime as a child yet again. Maybe this was her legacy, their legacy… the products of their love and their pasts, reflecting back, right in front of them.

Turning back to the task in front of her - the ever so difficult task of not letting the pancakes burn - Orihime let a serene smile spread across her face. She didn't see Ichigo put Akari back in her high chair; she didn't see him ruffle Masaki's hair and put a finger to his mouth, indicating to her to stay quiet; she didn't see him pull a box out seemingly from nowhere and open it to reveal a necklace with diamond-encrusted heart pendant hanging from a gold chain. She only felt his presence as he came to stand behind her.

As the cold gold of the pendant touched the base of her neck, Orihime felt her smile widen.

Securing the necklace around her neck, Ichigo pressed a kiss to conjuncture of her neck and shoulder and whispered those three words he made sure to tell her each and every day.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Ichigo-kun," she said, beaming up at him.

"For five lifetimes?"

"And forever after that…"

It was something beautiful and rarely found, what they had. The love that those two held for one another was something unrivaled and so pure that it brought about jealousy to others in their presence. It was a love that would flourish and continue to grow, a fire that would never die out… a fire that would continue to give off its light. It would glow and shine for all others to see.

They would love each other endlessly, no matter what they went through. There was no amount of time and no amount of space that could separate them. And it didn't matter how old they got: the love they had was ageless and they would love each other forever…

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_**~xXx~ Young Hearts ~xXx~**_

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**For any of you familiar with **_**Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV **_**(a.k.a. Radical Edward or just plain ole' Ed)from **_**Cowboy Bebop**_**, I imagined Masaki a bit like her. You know, lively, energetic, and comically eccentric. And while writing, I couldn't help but imagine the perfect song to this chapter, and while I couldn't find just one I thought of a few. I thought of **_**Turning Page **_**by **_**Sleeping at Last**_ **and **_**Nowhere, Now Here **_**by** _**SPYAIR **_**and a bunch of others. So now I want to know, did you guys think of any? If so, let us know. I'd love to see your thoughts!**

**Anyway, this concludes our entries for IchiHime Month 2014! We've had a lot of fun writing to these prompts, and we hope you guys enjoyed them as well. Thanks so much for reading!**

**Please review!**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**K.G.**


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